Derailer.



JAMES J. BARRY, OF BAGGALEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

DERAILER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916..

Application filed .Tune 14, 1915. Serial No. 33,979.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES J. BARRY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Baggaley, in the county of VVestmore- E land and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Derailers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to dei-ailing devices used to derail cars, when, as for example, the cars are running away.

The invention, while not limited to such use, is particularly adapted for use on slopes upon which loaded coal cars are pulled or hauled trom the `bottom to the top of the slope.

One object of my invention is to provide a derailer for car tracks having improved means whereby damage caused by loaded runaway cars is avoided and prevented.

Another object of my invention is to provide a derailing device having novel means whereby a switch is mechanically operated to automatically open and derail runaway cars when the cars are traveling in one direction, or backwardly, on a haulageslope.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. Vderailer of novel construction having improved means whereby the mechanism by which the derailer is mechanically operated is applied in operative position to` the rear end of a;car or train of cars.

Still further objects of my invention will be disclosed in the detailed description and pointed out in the' appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a mine car and mine car track having a derailer and derailer operating mechanism as constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 1s a detail perspective view showing the portable switch operating mechanism forming part of this invention.

1n the accompanying drawings the numeral 2 designates the parallel rails of a car track forming the haulage slope upon which the cars are caused to travel and up which the loaded cars 3 are hauled. The

car shown is a coal car of the usual construction having four flanged wheels 4.

Positioned at suitable intervals in the length of the haulage track formed by the rails 2, are derailing switches, the number of derailing switches used depending upon the length of such track. As is shown, the

derailing switches comprise a turn-out rail 5 and a movable switch point 6. One end of the turn-out rail 5 curves outwardly so that when the spring actuated switch point 6 is thrown into open position the car`s3 when running backwardly on the track' rails 2| will be derailed when one of the derailing switches is reached by a backwardly moving car having a yoke and operating lever thereon.

The front end of the switch point 6 is connected by a clip or bent plate 7 and bolt 8 to a bridle or switch-bar 9 which extends across the width of the track below the flanges of the track rails between two adjacentv rail ties 10 and 11. The clip 'Z is secured to the switch bar at an intermediate through which one end of a spring bolt 14 projects, and the opposite end of nthe bolt 14 is secured by a nut 15 in a registering hole in the web of the adjacent track rail 2. A. coil spring 16 is positioned on the spring bolt 14 with one end the web of' the rail 2, the other end of the spring engaging the bent end 12 of the switch bar or bridle 9, with the spring in compression when the switch point `6 is held in closed position (that shown in Fig. 1).

Spiked or otherwise secured on one end of the tie 10 is a metal plate 17 having one end bent downwardly and upwardly to 'form f a hook, the sides 18 and 19 of which extend parallel with the end 4of the tie 10, and pivotally secured to the so-formed hook by a bolt 20 is one end of a releasing lever 21. This lever, curved upper end 22 and a'horizontal arm 23, the arm 23 extending above the ties across the gap between the Side surfaces of the, ties 10 and 11. The free end of the' horizontal arm 23 of the lever 21 is arranged to engage with a clip 24 which is formed of a vilat metal bar fastenedfto the end of the tie 11 and bent into reversely curved loops so that'the adjacent parallel sides 25 and 26 of the inner loop will form a spring which yieldingly engages with and holds the outer end of the swlnging arm 23 of the releasing bar 21.

The upturned hook 13 on one end of the Inl which extendsvertically, has a.

in engagement with position. l/Vhen the bar 9 andswitch point 6 are held in this 16 on the opposite end of the switch bar is compressed.

The releasing bar 21 is adapted to swing from the position shown in Fig. 1 into a position in which its horizontal arm 23 eX- tends vertically, the swinging movement of the bar 21 detaching the arm 23 from the hook 13 ot' the switch bar 9 and permitting the spring 16 to move the switch point 6 into open position.

leinovably secured on the rear end of a' car, or on the rear end of a selected number of cars in a. train of loaded cars being hauled the outer edge of yso that when in its readily lifted up the slope, is a yoke or frame having ,a swinging lever 36. thereon by which the switch point 6 is mechanically released and opened. As shown, this frame is formed of a flat metal bar having its ends bent to form hooks 2T and 28 by which the frame is suspended from the upper edge of the body of the car 3, the hook .27 engaging the side 30 and the hook 28 the end 29 of the car body at one corner of the car.

The vertical leg 31 of the frame having the hook 27 is integrally joined to one end of the horizontal leg 32 and the other end of this horizontal leg 32 is joined to the lower end of the vertical leg 33 having the hook 26. The horizontal leg 32 is bent at the middle of its length .so one end of the leg extends at right angles to the other and the frame, when positioned on a car, em-

braces one end and side at the corner of the car/ to which the frame is applied. n

Pivotally secured to the frame by a pivot pin 34 and U-shaped strap 35 is the operating lever 36 by which the releasing lever 21 is actuated. rIhis lever has a bent lower end 37 which extends outwardly away fromY the track rail in a substantially horizontal direction. lThe upper swinging end of kthe lever projects through a -U-shaped strap 38 which isriveted or otherwise secured to the leg31 of the frame,ithis strap forming a keeper to limit` `the extent of backward swinging movement of the lever 36.l j

The pivoted vlever 36 extends vertically at the arm 3l of the frame normal position one side edge ofthe lever 36 will engage with the adjacent side edge of the arm 31 and prevent swinging movement of the lower bentl end 37 of the lever in one direction (from left to right in Fig. 1).

he frame is constructed so as to be car, this feature forming a convenient means for applying the frames and their switch operating levers to the rear end of the desired cars of any train of cars being hauled position the helicallspring closed position shown in from and replaced upon aA at the 'bottom of the haulage slope and are successively pulled up the slope by means of a haulage cable, or, in \some cases, by a locomotive. Such apparatus not forming part of my invention is neither shown nor further described. A train of such cars is of considerable length and the removable :trames will be hung on the rear end ofv a number ot' selected cars in any one train, so that the distance a detached car will travel backwardly upon the track before becoming derailed will be short. As a train of'cars in traveling up the slope passes a derailing switch 6 the hook 37v on the lower end'of the depending switch operatinglever 36 will strike the vertical extending curved arm 22 of the releasing lever 21 and will swing from right to left upon striking this arm so as to freely pass over the arm. Should a. car 3 become detached from a train of cars or should the haulage rope break and the entire train of cars be released, such car or. train of cars will start to run backwardly on the track by gravity. lf such backward movement be continued the speed of the car or cars gradually increases and would =soon reach the bottom of the slope. The damage which could be effected at the bottom of the haulage slope by a runaway train of loaded cars will be readily understood. l/Vhen a car 3 or train of cars becomes detached and starts to run backwardly, the first car carrying a yoke' and operating lever, .upon reaching the iirst derailer ot' the series of derailers in the track or haulage slope, is derailed by the bent en d 37 of the tripper lever 36 on the yoke engaging with the vertical leg 22 of the releasing bar 21. 4Back- .ward swing ng movement of the lever 36 being prevented, the releasing bar 21 is positively actuated and caused to swing on the pivot pin 20 so that ythe arm 212 of the releasing'bar is swung by the backward movement of the car from the vertical position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing into a horizontal position. Such movement of the bar 21 lifts the horizontally extending arm 23 on this bar out of engagement with the hook 13 on the end of the switch bar 9. uWhen the switch bar is released in this manner the spring 16 in engagement with the hook 12 on the other end of the switch bar lengthens so as to move the switch. point? 6 fromthe the drawings into open position. `The car or train of cars then is derailed by such open switch and further backward movement on the haulage slope is prevented, and in this way damage at the bottom of the haulage slope by runaway cars is overcome and prevented.

nivaese When the switch has been operated in the manner described so as to derail a car or train, the car or train is replaced on the track and the switch 6 is closed manually downwardly on the track without operating the derailing switches in such backward movement. The yokes are conveniently placed within the empty cars to be transferred to the bottom of the haulage slope.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

rlhe apparatus is simple, is strong, durable, and will not require frequent repairs. By its use the derailers `are positively actuated by runaway cars moving backwardly on the haulage slope and the damage otherwise possible by reason of such runaway cars is avoided and overcome.

Modifications in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

l. ln a car derailer, the combination with a-railway track having a movable switch rail, means for holding said rail in closed position, and mechanism for mechanically actuating said switch rail in moving the rail into open, car derailing position, of a car on said track having means removably secured on the side thereof for releasing said rail holding means upon backward movement ot the -car adjacent to said switch rail.

2. ln a car derailer, the combination with .a railway track having a movable switch rail, a switch bar having a spring for automatically moving the switch rail into open, car derailing position, and a pivoted releasing lever at the side of the railway track engaging the end of the switch bar to hold the switch rail in closed position, of a car on backward movement of vthe car said track having means suspended :from the end and side of the car body at one corner thereof for releasing said pivoted lever from the switch bar and thereby permitting the spring 'to open the switch rail upon" backward movement of the car adjacent to said switch rail. Y

3. ln a car derailer, the combination with a railway track having a movable switch rail, a switch bar having a spring `for auto-` matically actuating the switch rail in moving the rail into open, car derailing position, and a pivoted releasing lever at the side of the railway track arranged to engage said switch bar to hold the switch rail in closed position, of a car having a yoke suspended 'from the car body at one corner of the car,` and a swinging operating lever pivoted on the yoke and having a bent lower end, the bent end of said pivoted lever being adapted to engage and actuate the releasing lever to release the switch bar and permit the spring to open the switch rail upon adjacent to said switch rail.

Ll. ln a car derailer, the combination with a railway track having a movable switch rail, a switch bar having a spring for automatically actuating lthe switch rail in moving the rail into open, car derailing position, and a pivoted releasing lever at the side of the railway track arranged to engage said switch bar to hold the switch rail in closed position, of' a car having a removable yoke suspended rom the car body at one corner thereof, and a pivoted operating lever connected to the yoke and having a bent lower end, the bent end of said lever being adapted 'to engage and actuate the releasing lever to release the switch bar and enable the spring to open the switch rail upon backward movement of the car adjacent to said switch rail.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES J. BARRY.

Witnesses z P. lVlnLoNn, Jos. MAMA. 

